Annual Report 2014 - Page 6

Later in 2014, the Professional Obligations and Human Rights
policy furthered the emphasis on patient-centred interaction. This
is an example of an initiative that affirms the rights of patients to
access care, and to be treated safely and without discrimination. The
controversial aspect of the policy, as many of you may remember,
was that it addressed the College’s expectations in circumstances
where physicians limit the services they provide on moral or religious grounds. While the Charter of Rights and Freedoms entitles
physicians to limit the health services they provide on moral or
religious grounds, the College made clear that doing so must not
impede, either directly or indirectly, patients’ access to care. In fact, I
can’t imagine it being any other way.
We also crafted a policy that adapted to the requirements of the
new legislative framework regarding access to marijuana for
medical purposes. The major change made by the federal
government, as you may know, is that the responsibility for
decisions of access was shifted to physicians. The policy we
have now put in place serves and protects the public by proOur efforts to
viding useful guidance to those physicians who do prescribe
make the patient’s dried marijuana for medical purposes.
Our efforts to make the patient’s well-being central to our
well-being central
mission ties into the theme of transparency. In 2014, we conto our mission ties
tinued finding ways to provide information about physicians
into the theme of
and the process of medical regulation to help patients make
transparency.